Our proposed Heritage Plan Change (PC13)

We’re proposing that 11 new Residential Heritage Areas (RHA) across the city be protected in the District Plan to recognise Ōtautahi Christchurch’s special identity. 

RHAs are neighbourhood areas with buildings and features that are collectively (rather than individually) significant to the city’s heritage and identity, that we want to retain. They have a coherent history which tells us a story about the residential development of Ōtautahi Christchurch. 

The proposed RHAs, which are proposed to become Qualifying Matters under the Housing and Business Choice Plan Change (PC14), are in the following 11 areas: 

• Inner City West
• Chester Street East/Dawson Street (Inner City)
• Englefield Avonville (Inner City East)
• Piko/Shand (Riccarton Block State Housing)
• Heaton Street (Merivale)
• Church Property Trustees North St Albans subdivision (St Albans)
• Wayside Avenue ‘Parade of Homes’ (Burnside)
• RNZAF Station Wigram Staff Housing (Wigram)
• Macmillan Avenue (Cashmere)
• Shelley/Forbes streets (Sydenham)
• Lyttelton

The areas themselves, and rules we’re proposing for these areas, are new to the District Plan. Our proposal also includes introducing a buffer for Residential Heritage Areas, with a high-density border to better protect their edges. 

We’re proposing that, within the identified RHAs, a resource consent would be needed for new buildings, additions or alterations to buildings, new fences and walls higher than 1.5 metres, and to demolish or relocate those buildings considered most significant (called “defining” or “contributory” buildings). We’ll assess all development proposals on how they affect the heritage values of the area. 

We assessed many other areas of Christchurch against the criteria used for identification as an RHA that did not meet the required threshold. In most cases this was because they were not sufficiently intact, for example, there was too much compromise to the historic heritage values of the area because of demolition, housing modification or new development.  

Note that the Lyttelton RHA has been reduced in extent since the boundaries suggested last year, to remove some more recently developed areas. 

You can view maps(external link) with the specific boundaries for each of these RHAs. 

If you intend to make changes to your property and it is in both a Residential Character Area and a Residential Heritage Area, and need resource consent for both these matters, you only need to make one resource consent application. 

As well as introducing RHAs, we’re proposing some additional changes to the Heritage chapter in the District Plan. Both RHAs and the additional heritage buildings or items in the first bullet point below are Qualifying Matters under PC14, as well as being included in the package of PC13 changes. Some other heritage changes are outside the scope of PC14.   

PC13 changes include: 

• Adding 44 heritage buildings or  items and 26 building interiors to the District Plan’s Schedule of Significant Historic Heritage for protection. These new heritage buildings and items include five buildings near the city centre, some private buildings, Council-owned halls, bridges and cemeteries, and 25 baches at Taylors Mistake.  

This includes the addition of some new features following early feedback on our Draft Heritage Plan Change. Additions include Carlton Mill Bridge and Hereford Street Bridge, 16 Papanui War Memorial Avenues (trees and plaques), the Tuberculosis hut on the site of the former Cashmere Sanatorium and the caretaker’s cottage at Woodham Park. 

• Correcting and updating mapping and details on the heritage schedule for several heritage buildings/items to accurately show the extent of the area subject to protection. These corrections and updates are being applied for a variety of reasons including to reflect changes to buildings or changes due to the subdivision of the property since it was scheduled. 
• Wording changes to some heritage policies and several changes to heritage rules with strengthening of some rules. The aim is to simplify and clarify provisions, to improve workability for users of the District Plan and the Council, and to improve heritage outcomes. 

If you live in or own a building that we’re proposing be protected by the District Plan Heritage Schedule, you can make some changes, such as minor repairs and maintenance, without a resource consent. 

However, a resource consent is needed for more significant changes, such as building alterations, relocation, or demolition, and for new buildings in heritage settings. We carefully assess all proposals for development or changes on how they would affect the heritage values of the heritage place.